'Light's in A Benighted Land': A Dissertation On The Rules of Benedict and John Wesley

Lights in a Benighted Land:
A Critical Examination of the Christian Rules

of Benedict of Nursia and John Wesley.
by
Jarel Adrian Robinson-Brown

MC: RT7343 SN: C1404276
Research Supervisor
The Revd Dr Karen E Smith BA MDiv DPhil (Oxon)
Module Leader
The Revd Dr Peter K Stevenson MA BA MLitt PhD FHEA
Module Co-Ordinator
Dr Simon Brodbeck BA MA PhD (SOAS)
A Dissertation presented to the School of

History, Archaeology, and Religion
in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the
degree of Bachelor of Theology
May 2017
1
J-M-J
Dedication
To The Memory of
Margaret Denning Hobbs (1925 - 2014)
With special thanks to:
Anne Ellis & Owain, Drs Maurice & Stephanie Wentworth, Revd Margaret Dudley, the
Methodists of Cardiff and Caerphilly, the English Benedictine communities, especially my
brethren at Ealing and Douai, and to the academic staff at South Wales Baptist College:
Dr Peter Stevenson, Dr Karen Smith and Dr Ed Kaneen for their graciousness, guidance and
continual support.
2
Table of Contents
Title Page
Foreword
Abstract
I. Introduction
II. Benedict and Wesley in Context
III. Benedict and Wesley in Historiography
IV. Community and Rule in the History of Christianity
V. The Rule of Benedict and Rules of Wesley in Critical Dialogue
VI. Conclusion
Appendices
A. The Rule of Saint Benedict: Selected Chapters
B. The Rules of the Societies
C. The Twelve Rules of a Helper
D. When Heaven Touches Earth: A Dialogue Between Benedict and Wesley
Bibliography
3
Foreword
This dissertation has been produced for the purposes required by Cardiff University, and in
particular, the School of History, Archaeology and Religion. I have chosen this topic as a
Methodist Presbyter currently serving in the Cardiff Circuit and also as an Oblate of Ealing
Abbey, West London. My experience of both the spirituality of Benedict and Wesley, and of
Roman Catholicism and Methodism have fed the interest in the treasures within each of these
traditions. It is my belief and conviction, that both Benedictine Monasticism and Methodism
have much in common, and much to offer the world and the Church in its quest for deeper
unity and peace. Whilst this piece of work only scratches the surface of the depth of material
and common ground to be found in this area, it is hoped that this will form just the beginning
of my research in this field and with the help and understanding of the Church in allowing
me time, and the opportunities for further funding, it is hoped that I will be able to use this first
portion of research as a bridge towards MPhil, or PhD study.
For any aspects of this work which appear to be incorrect, or wrongly attributed as noticed by
authors I offer my apology, and would welcome being informed of the discrepancy on my
part by e-mail: jarel.robinson-brown@methodist.org.uk. Further to this, if any reader is
interested in this piece of work, or is privy to an important document or piece of historical
material which I have failed to mention and would value, then please also be in touch. I remain
convinced that the future of the Church, is a future of radical ecumenism. It seems entirely
possible, and perhaps even probable that the movement towards that glorious hope of One
Church, One Faith, One Lord lies in the coming together of two of the most unsuspected parts
of the church catholic: Roman Catholicisms Benedictines and Protestantisms Wesleyan
Methodists. I have found in these two spheres of Christianity, not simply the meeting of minds,
but the meeting of hearts and souls. I pray that this small piece of research might awaken and
enliven members of both communities to work together towards that end for which Our Lord
so eagerly prayed, and if that be so this small task has been worthwhile. To me, Benedict and
Wesley are characters in the history of Christianity to whom any lost or wavering wanderer may
turn and find good sense, sound teaching, and a pragmatic, gracious, and merciful approach to
their state regardless of their present or past circumstances. In this, both men are so deeply
human that they are examples of Christ, the Good Shepherd who meets people where they
are, the Christ who they sought and found and offer anew, to a world in deep and urgent need
of a memento of the virtues of redemption, mercy, holiness and goodwill. Benedict and
Wesley can be seen in the minds eye as two lights standing side by side yet shining as one.
Like a lighthouse in the midst of a raging sea, pointing upwards to heaven, urging us to look up
once again, to navigate our way home to be changed, redeemed, transformed, and renewed
by preferring nothing whatsoever to Christ,1 and his unfailing word.
The Reverend Jarel Robinson-Brown Obl.OSB,

Cardiff UK
Feast of the Passing of St Benedict,

Patron Protector of Europe
21st March 2017
1
Rule of Benedict, Chapter 72.
4
Abstract
Whilst a great deal of work has been produced in relation to St Benedict and John Wesley as
individuals, and between the Benedictine tradition and the Wesleyan doctrine of
sanctification and holiness, scholars have yet to compare the rules of Benedict and Wesley or
their concomitant thoughts and biography. This dissertation will compare and contrast
sections of St Benedicts Rule and Wesleys Rule for the Methodist Societies and the Twelve
Rules of a Helper. In particular, my texts for comparison will be, in relation to John Wesley:
The Historic Texts Part 1 and Part 2 of the Constitutional Practice and Discipline of the
Methodist Church, and in relation to Benedict: St Benedicts Rule: Prologue, Chapters 4, 7,
72 and 73. With an examination particularly pertaining to those areas wherein the spiritual
emphases of Benedict and Wesley particularly converge, and where they are distinct in
difference.
5
I. Introduction
Attempting to understand the theology of St Benedict and John Wesley, requires initially an
engagement with the contexts out of which the two arose. This necessity is twofold:
primarily, because the environments in which we exercise our Christian discipleship have a
very influential, formational and direct impact upon our understanding of God and
secondarily, because this backdrop colours how we relate to our neighbour and the wider
world. In this way, it is true that Christian spirituality must be examined and interpreted in
some way through biography2, not as a destination in and of itself, but as a key component
along the path to further comprehension. In my initial section I shall biographically examine
the two men in their original contexts, then I shall review the ways in which they have been
received by relevant scholars, paying particular attention to the themes: Rule, Community
and Spiritual Nurture. Following this, I will contextualise both thinkers in the broader history
of Christian Rule and Community in relation to the Blessed Trinity, the life of Christ and the
Early Church, after which in my closing sections I will present a diptych revealing the ways
in which their rules converge and diverge in relation to the emphases of both authors.
II. Benedict and Wesley in Context
St Benedict was born c. 480 AD at Nursia, a little town north of Rome and is thought to have
died c.550.3 His family who were affluent, most likely earnt their living as land-owners and
officials in town administration. He entered the world at an epoch of deep cultural and
political change, not least manifest in the disintegration of the Roman Empire.4 It was at the
epicentre of this empire that the young Benedict went to study law and rhetoric5, a place
where the glory of the past was less visible6. Not so far from Rome, in the surrounding areas
were monasteries, hermits and communities, and of course in Rome itself monasteries
inhabiting some of the existing historic churches. Benedict was accompanied to Rome by his
nurse and travelled with her 40 miles north-east of the city to Affile where he first attracted
curiosity through the reportedly miraculous repair of an earthenware sieve which his nurse
had accidentally broken.7 Over time, as the interest in this young man grew, and as his
interest in his Roman education decreased, Benedict sought solitude five miles further north
of Affile in Subiaco.
Benedict remained there living the life of a hermit for three years in a cave in the valley of
the river Anio and this period of his life is seen as a time of deep and intensive formation8,
particularly for his interior life St Gregory, Benedicts sole biographer recalls that the
2
Karen Smith (2007), Christian Spirituality, (London: SCM Press.,) p.14.
3
Linda Woodhead (2004), An Introduction to Christianity, (Cambridge: University Press.,)
p.99.
4
Robert Atwell (2008), The Oblate Life, (London: Canterbury Press.,) p.13.
5
Elaine A. Heath & Scott T. Kisker (2010), Longing for Spring: A New Vision for Wesleyan
Community, (Cambridge: Lutterworth Press,.) p. 18.
6
Derek Vidler (2008), The Oblate Life, (London: Canterbury Press.,) p.21
7
Robert Atwell (2008), The Oblate Life, (London: Canterbury Press.,) p.17.
8
Benedict XVI (2011), Great Christian Thinkers, (London: SPCK.,) p.127
6
young hermit was so entrenched in his vocation that he entirely lost track of the liturgical
seasons.9
At one time, he certainly had contact with a monk called Romanus who cared for him, and
his basic necessities when Benedict was probably only 20 years of age.10 Whilst here,
Benedict was requested by the monks of Vicovaro, a monastery 18 miles away from his
hermitage to become their abbot. He obliged, but was a failure and caused great difficulty due
to his attempts to reform their life together, leading some of the monks to try to poison him.11
Following this, he attracted more conscientious followers and together they built a monastery
in Subiaco and he presided there for 25 years during which it is thought amongst scholars that
his rule began to take shape, but he was again nearly poisoned here and eventually sometime
after, Benedict finally settled at Monte Cassino12. Here, he transmogrified an abandoned hill
fortress into a monastery and wrote his world-famous rule. Benedict is thought to have had
access to a copy of an older, earlier rule which itself is three-times longer than Benedicts,
known as The Rule of the Master, which, from the prologue to the chapter on humility,
Benedicts Rule follows almost verbatim.13 In Benedicts rule, there is a clear sense of
longing for an ordered way of life, with clear parameters and this is possibly a result of his
experience living in the swiftly changing city of Rome.14 This is important background for it
shows us that Benedict received formation from a monk who may have been his superior in
years and whose advice, wisdom and witness may have influenced his rule and living. In
addition, Benedicts early vocation being one of eremitic life enables us to understand that
when he later, in his rule, creates distinctions and judgments on the different types of
monks15, that he himself had an understanding of those varied expressions of monasticism.16
John Wesley was born in 170317 in Epworth, a small town in North Lincolnshire,
England. Wesley was born in the parsonage where his father, Samuel Wesley was Rector18.
Life was turbulent for the young Wesley, and his fathers long history often brought trouble
to the lives of all Samuels children, and indeed his wife Susannah. Susannah was the
daughter of a Dissenting minister, Dr Samuel Annesley, but both Susannah and her husband
had joined the Church of England out of conviction whilst young adults. John Wesleys
parents were the founding influence19 on his thought and practice. His mother held a strict
routine in the family home and in later life, John developed a regular routine of prayer
9
Carolinne White (1998), Early Christian Lives, (London: Penguin Classics.,) pp.167-8.
10
ibid.
11
Robert Atwell (2008), The Oblate Life, (London: Canterbury Press.) p. 18.
12
ibid.
13
Adalbert de Vog (1977), The Rule of the Master, (Michigan: Cistercian Publications.) p.
8.
14
Linda Woodhead (2004), An Introduction to Christianity, (Cambridge: University Press.)
p.100.
15
Patrick Barry (2004), St Benedicts Rule, (New Jersey USA: Hidden Spring). pp. 51-2.
16
For more on various expressions of monasticism and new monasticism see:
1. Kenneth Greet (1975), When the Spirit Moves, (London: Epworth Press). pp. 104-116.
2. Elaine A. Heath & Scott T. Kisker (2010), Longing for Spring: A New Vision for
Wesleyan Community, (Cambridge: Lutterworth Press.)
17
Roy Hattersley (2002), John Wesley: A Brand Plucked From the Burning, (London:
Abacus.) p.20.
18
Henry D. Rack (2002) Reasonable Enthusiast, (London: Epworth Press.) p.45.
19 ibid. pp.56-57.
7
(including extemporary prayer for the first time, worship, study and instruction20. In a
meditation written on 17th May 1711, Susannah wrote of Son John that she intends to be
more particularly careful of the soul of this child that thou hast so mercifully provided for,
than ever I have been, that I may do endeavours to instil into his mind the disciplines of thy
true religion and virtue.21At the age of eleven, John was sent to school at Charterhouse in
London which gave him a chance of going to university and entering suitable employment.
This was fulfilled and in June 1720, John went to study at Christ Church with a fund from
Charterhouse of 20 a year to support him.22 In so many ways, his life had the outer
appearance of stability but was coloured with instability just beneath the surface, and he
knew what it meant to have a difficult family dynamic at home.23 Though he took a dim view
of life at Oxford, and in particular the teaching he received from some professors, it was in
Oxford that Wesleys spirituality came into greater play. Particularly in the Holy Club, begun
by his older brother Charles, and later taken over by John. This was the initial group of
Methodists, the name given by local hecklers to this band of very methodical Christian
students.
It was out of an experience in 173924, that John and Charles wrote in 1743 the Wesleys
Rules of the Society and in 1753 The Twelve Rules of a Helper which became integral to
early Methodist life. If the caves and valleys surrounding Rome were the inspirational ground
in which Benedict found his yearning for community and rule, then Oxford University was
the place of initial formation for John Wesley25. The universitys monastic roots were still
evident and the group started by Charles Wesley involved regular study and the weekly
attendance at the Eucharist. Once John had taken over the group from his brother, the
expanded group started a ministry with vulnerable people, visiting prisons and caring for the
poorest amongst them this group required rules to maintain their stability, and needed some
form of governance and over time these became known as class meetings with a limited
number of twelve people for each class. The Rule of life for Methodists was simple, taken
from Isa 1:16-17. Cease to do evil, learn to do good. More specifically, those who joined
were expected to continue to evidence their desire of salvation. Wesley was convinced that
in order to grow into the fullness of Christ, those who responded to his preaching would need
a class, a community in which to be nurtured and to grow, and he committed never to preach
where this pastoral follow up were not possible.26
In examining the relationship between Benedict and Wesley, it is evident that both men
focussed on the need to have a rule. John Wesley, like Saint Benedict began a great
20 ibid. p.114.
21
Henry D. Rack (2002) Reasonable Enthusiast, (London: Epworth Press.) p. 57.
22
23
24
Although this is Wesleys own record of events in the Rule itself, which attests to this, the
historian Henry. D. Rack (1989) gives a different account in: Reasonable Enthusiast,
(London: Epworth Press.) pp. 239-240. This states Wesley as the sole author of the Rules.
25
Wesley began writing rules during the Ember days retreat prior to his ordination to the
diaconate in 1725. Amongst them were the rules that every day be begun and ended with
God, nightly examination, and at least an hour a day must be given to devotion. See: John.
M. Todd (1958), John Wesley and The Catholic Church, (London: The Catholic Book Club.)
p.42.
26
Elaine A. Heath & Scott T. Kisker (2010), Longing for Spring: A New Vision for Wesleyan
Community, (Cambridge: Lutterworth Press.) p. 34.
8
movement, a missionary movement bringing together evangelical fervour and rigorous
education John Wesleys Twelve Rules of A Helper and his Rules for the Methodist
Societies as well as the Covenant Service have been described by Gordon Rupp as the
nearest thing in Western non-Roman Christianity to the Benedictine Rule27. It may have
been the troubled times in which both men lived that created this hunger for order and
community, moreover their approach to scripture drew them, into the heart of the acts Church
and its usefulness for their day. Whilst much has been produced on Wesleys relationship
with Catholicism, much less has appeared on Wesleys relationship to Benedict and
extremely little comparing Benedicts spirituality of rule with John Wesleys. Writers have
attempted to compare the heart of Benedictine spirituality with Methodist spirituality, but in
relation to British Methodism more research is needed.
One particular point of convergence involves the unusual history of Buckfast Abbey, in
Devon where in 1881, just twelve months before the monks unexpected return, the
Wesleyans built a small chapel on part of the site of the ruined monastery. This was done at a
time when almost no-one could have foreseen a new abbey rising from the ruins of the old,
and yet till this day Buckfast Methodist chapel stands near the site of the abbey Church
within the abbey grounds. While the Methodist chapel may have been built as an attempt to
claim Roman Catholic ground, the physical presence of the two buildings speaks of
common ground between their founders which has been discovered and is still being
unearthed. In this very physical way, Benedict and Wesley have come to share territory28 in
England in a way that speaks to both a spiritual closeness, but also the institutional and
theological divide.29
Maximin Piette writes of the comparisons made to Wesley: John Wesley has been compared
to St Benedict as regards his liturgical sense and piety; to St Dominic for his apostolic zeal; to
St Francis of Assisi for his love of Christ and detachment from the world; to St Ignatius of
Loyola for his genius as an organizer; to his contemporary St Alphonsus di Liguori, for those
terrifying appeals to the judgment of God as the beginning of conversion.30 It is fair to
suggest, I believe, that John Wesleys relationship with Catholicism is deeply complex, and
for the sake of saving shame, many Methodist scholars have sought to distinguish between
Wesleys opposition to Roman Catholicism as an institutional system31, and his genuine
appreciation for those who shared his faith, irrespective of denomination. I know said
Wesley, some Roman Catholics who sincerely love both God and their neighbour, and who
steadily endeavour to do unto everyone as they wish him to do unto them.32
27
Gordon Rupp (1977), Just Men: Historical Pieces. (London: Epworth Press.) p.11.
28
See: Jarel Robinson-Brown (2017), Appendix (C) When Heaven Touches Earth for a
creative imagining of the two men meeting.
29
See David Chapman (2004), In Search of the Catholic Spirit: Methodists and Roman
Catholics in Dialogue. (London: Epworth Press). pp 264-266.
30
Maximin Piette (1937), John Wesley in the Evolution of Protestantism. (New York: Sheed
& Ward). p. 480.
31 David Butler (1995), Methodists and Papists. (London: Dartmon, Longman and Todd)
p.19 When John Wesley met Papists during his ministry and read some of their literature,
he gives the impression that he is in contact with a once-great communion which has lost its
way since the time of the early Church, but which is still significant and potentially seductive
in eighteenth century England.
32
David Chapman (2004), In Search of the Catholic Spirit: Methodists and Roman Catholics
in Dialogue. (London: Epworth Press). p. 11.
9
III Benedict and Wesley in Historiography
Despite the chasm of years between the births of these two men and the institutions out of
which they come, similarities between the two may be noted33. For example, both men
believe in the sanctification of time34, both men formed community and established avenues
for individual and communal development.35 It seems important to note however that despite
Wesleys emphases on Rules for the Societies, and for Helpers, he did not attempt to provide
early Methodists with a text that pretended to be a comprehensive guide to Christian
spirituality. The Wesleyan rule of life like the Rule of St Benedict can be said to be a
rule for beginners.36
Writing on the way in which Benedict and Wesley encourage a total devotion from every
area of life to God, Avery Brooke writes:
Two major figures in Christian history have emphasized ways to help us get through the
week and remain in touch with God. One is Benedict of Nursia (480 550) who founded the
Benedictine monastic order. The second is John Wesley in the eighteenth century, the
founder of Methodism. Both Benedicts and Wesleys ways of prayer are surprisingly similar
and a strain of holy common sense pervades and sustains their teachings.37
Further to this, Benedict and Wesley intend that their Rules at their highest point, are to be
lived rather than simply read.38 This connection to the living faith and a commitment to the
33
The most essential being, that Wesley understood the Church in the traditional catholic
sense. In his re-writing of the 39 Articles of Religion, the article he leaves unchanged is the
article on the Church: The visible Church is a congregation of faithful men [sic] in which the
pure Word of God is preached and the sacraments be duly administered according to Christs
ordinance in all those things that of necessity are requisite and the same.
Colin W. Williams, John Wesleys Theology Today., (Nashville: Abingdon Press) p.141.
34
For more on the sanctification of time see: Dom Gregory Dix (1945), The Shape of the
Ministry, (London: Bloomsbury)., pp.303-396.
35
Whilst Wesley might have engaged with the historic texts of which Benedict was aware,
Patrick Lyons states: I think it a pity that just two hundred years after the dissolution of the
monasteries, and with copies of the Rule available in the Bodleian Library, John Wesley, the
Oxford student gives no indication of having read it.
Patrick Lyons (1996), Conversion In The Benedictine and Wesleyan Traditions,. The Asbury
Theological Journal: Vol 51: No. 1. p.86.
36
Michael G. Cartwright & Andrew Kinsey (2011), Watching Over One Another in Love:
Reclaiming the Wesley Rule of Life for the Churchs Mission. (USA: Wipf & Stock)., p. 55.
37
Avery Brooke (1998), Running Out of Time, Weavings Volume XIII, Number 3, May/June
1998. (Nashville: The Upper Room)., p.12.
38
Joan Chittester (1990), Wisdom Distilled From the Daily, (New York: Harper Collins).,
p.195. In this text Chittester described the Rule of Benedict as a document designed simply
10
idea of the sanctification of time is rooted in the catholicity of two men the universality of
faith. Jerry L. Mercer states that Wesley drank deeply from the wells of Roman Catholic
spirituality.39 In their instituting of their Rule, neither of these two Christian leaders are
prepared to let go of the need for the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, it is In this Sacrament
[that] the hopes of Benedict and Wesley were not far apart; they believed communicants
received in the Supper graces to live the Christian life, extend the Christian mission, and
anticipate the Christian hope.40 In addition, the Eucharist is that motivator which aids in the
act of conversatio morum41 and both Benedict and Wesley have an understanding that in this
sacrament believers are offered a face to face, real and transformative experience with the
risen Christ.
Mercer notes that both Benedict and Wesley stand out in Christian history as unusual
characters who had in common their desire to live a life that becomes the Gospel, to give
unbridled zeal in reforming the Church, to make an attempt at influencing others to live the
holy lifethey were both given to a life of prayer. Both men, Benedict and Wesley also
wanted to be first and foremost men of the book [the Bible]. Both wanted to be men of the
Church, but to be honest, on their own terms, terms each one believed were inspired by
God.42 That both men were somewhat disturbed by trends in the Church when it has
appeared reluctant to mine the depth of ancient Christian treasures is evident, particularly in
response to the problem of evil. Also, Wesley appears extremely keen, indeed serious, to
engage in ecumenical dialogue which leads one to imagine the two interacting with total ease.
Mercer admits that it is nothing more than speculation to imagine what Benedict might think
in a post-Vatican II Catholicism, but suggests that, like Wesley, he would tend to side with
the traditionalists.43
In the case of both men, there is a deep taking-seriously of the Call to be Christ-like. Ted
Campbell states that Wesley saw the spirituality of asceticism, especially Eastern asceticism,
as reflecting faithfully the Gospel challenge to be conformed to the image of Christ.44
Wesley shows here understanding of a pre-Benedictine eremitic tradition which Benedict
himself would have known. For Campbell, it is the holiness of the ancient monks which drew
Wesley to their asceticism not simply for their theology, but also for their offering a model
for the type of life the Church could have, and perhaps should have.45By way of his
Anglicanism, Wesley inherits a number of traditions from monasticism, namely a pattern of
daily prayer and meditation through the Book of Common Prayer, which itself incorporated
the Benedictine tradition of lectio continua.46 But also a sense of belonging to a community,
as a Fellow of Lincoln College, Oxford in whose chapel that rhythm of prayer was honoured.
to make people conscious of the God-life in which they are already immersed. She also states
that Benedict did not write a manual of spiritual exercises or a codex of canon laws.
39
Jerry L. Mercer (1996), The Centrality of Grace in Wesleyan Spirituality, The Asbury
Theological Journal: Vol 51: No. 1, p.223.
40
ibid.
41
Conversatio Morum = Conversion of Life
42 42
Jerry L. Mercer (1996), The Centrality of Grace in Wesleyan Spirituality, The Asbury
Theological Journal: Vol 51: No. 1, p.224.
43
ibid.
44
Ted. A. Campbell. (1996), Wesleys Use of the Church Fathers,. The Asbury Theological
Journal: Vol51: No.1, p.62.
45
ibid pp.63-4.
46
ibid p.66.
11
The Church historian Gordon Rupp, has written that he was encouraged to talk about John
Wesley as the last Benedictine, or at least to say that the Rule of Saint Benedict is a right
Methodist epistleJohn Wesley, who like Saint Benedict launched a great lay movement, a
splendid missionary apostolate, binding together evangelism and education, whose Twelve
Rules of a Helper, whose Rules for the Methodist Societies and whose Covenant Service, are
the nearest thing in western non-Roman Christianity to the Benedictine Rule; John Wesley
who exercised a patriarchal authority over his communities, and bade them explicitly watch
over the souls committed to them, those who must one day give an account. The lovely
climax of the Rule of Benedict is almost exactly transcribed in a verse of Charles Wesley:
Strangers and pilgrims here below,

This earth, we know, is not our place;
But hasten through the vale of woe,
And, restless to behold Thy face,
Swift to our heavenly country move,
Our everlasting home above.47
Whilst rule, a pattern of prayer and communal living might not appear as intrinsically
Methodist, Elaine Heath and Scott Kisker both speak of ways in which a new monastic
movement is coming to birth amongst United Methodists in the USA who they describe as
people longing for spring. Within this work48 they present a vision for a Wesleyan
Community, and central to their vision is the notion that monastic movements past, present
and future, have at their genesis and centre lay people. Monasticism began with individual
lay Christians retreating from society to deserted places to pursue holiness. The famous Saint
Anthony, who is credited with creating monasticism, was a layperson who desired to pursue a
higher Christian life, gave away possessions, and went to live alone in the wilderness.49 For
all the uniqueness of Methodist amongst the protestant denominations, it remains true that in
the history of the church, orders have been founded by prophetic reformers of the Church,
people like Saint Benedict, Saint Francis, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, and Mother Theresa of
Calcutta. While most Methodists dont think of monastic orders as a Protestant option, early
Methodism had much in common with a lay monastic movement.50
Geoffrey Wainwright has noted that in a service for a small Methodist denomination in
Britain for the sending of overseas missionaries, there is a quotation of an ancient
Benedictine Motto To Work and to Pray, in the liturgy for this service are the words: All
these forms of service are necessary; all are sacred; work done in the right spirit is a form of
worship. It was truly said in old times: To labour is to pray.That practice of mission to
lands overseas which has been strongly characteristic of historic Methodism rejoins
evangelizing endeavours of the early mediaeval Benedictines, whereby Pope Gregory I had
sent Augustine to the English, and in turn the insular figures of Willibrord and Boniface
became apostles to the Netherlands and Germany.51
47
Gordon Rupp (1977), Just Men: Historical Pieces,. (London: Epworth Press.) pp.1&11.
48
Elaine. A. Heath & Scott T. Kisker (2010), Longing for Spring: A New Vision for Wesleyan
Community,. (Cambridge: Lutterworth Press.)
49
ibid.p.17.
50
ibid.p.53.
51
Geoffrey Wainwright (1995), Methodists in Dialog, (Nashville: Abingdon Press)., p.105.
12
An emphasis on rule must be noted, because it is rule alone that allows this vital, life-giving
intercourse between work and prayer to occur.
IV Community and Rule in the History of Christianity
That Benedict and Wesley have received their idea of community from somewhere is
evident, but how their understanding of community and rule were formed is not always easy
to decipher. Wesleys mother played a significant role in his understanding of Christian
community and rule and both Benedict and Wesley dedicated large portions of their time to
the reading of spiritual thinkers. For many years, scholars have suggested52 that the origins of
Christian community are to be found in the early Church, however it can be argued that the
origins of Christian community predate the early Church. It is tempting but also remiss to
come to an understanding that the origins of Christian community lie solely in the early
church, and the Acts of the Apostles, that there is a longer purview within which to examine
the origins of Christian community and rule is in fact possible. Both Wesley and Benedict
saw Christian community in this broader historical context.
Firstly, we can see in the book of Genesis the genesis of community life in the One, Holy and
Undivided Trinity. At the creation of the universe, as each aspect of the created realm came
into existence we are told:
Then God said, Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likenessso God
created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them.53
Here in the very beginning of time we see a God who yearns to be in communion with his
creation so much so that out of the intimate community of the Trinity comes the human
family. That this God is in the beginning in fellowship with God, is both a clear indicator of
the kind of relationship God has in mind for creation, and the end towards which that creation
is journeying. We are called into community, because we were called out of a community in
the beginning of time, and so we find both our origin and our apotheosis in the community of
the Godhead three persons of one substance: Father, Son and Holy Ghost.54 Both Benedict
and Wesley in placing such an emphasis on the necessity of worship recognise this
communal necessity of discipleship.
52
Many scholars begin here,
1. J. Stevenson (1957), A New Eusebius., (London: SPCK).
2. Stuart G. Hall (2005), Doctrine and Practice in the Early Church,. (London: SPCK).
Josef Lossl (2010), The Early Church: History and Memory,. (London & New York: T&T
Clark). pp.43-74.
53
Genesis 1:26&27a (2007), The Bible: New Revised Standard Version., (Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.) [All Biblical Quotations From This Source and Translation].
54
For more on Trinity as Community see, Miroslav Volf (1996), Exclusion and Embrace,
(Nashville: Abingdon Press). pp128- 129. Also, Paul S. Fiddes (2000), Participating in God:
A Pastoral Doctrine of the Trinity,.(London: Darton Longman and Todd.) pp.46-56.
13
Yet, to end our reflections here would curtail our insights, for in Jesus Christ we see this
embodiment of communion in a deeper and clearer sense than the words of Genesis might
reveal to us. The Jesus of the Gospel is seen by the sea of Galilee, calling brothers from their
daily labours to become his disciples, to become part of his community, to leave their old
lives to journey together into eternity.55 In the mystery of the incarnation the extension of
Gods will for union with humankind becomes more fully fulfilled in the life, ministry, death
and resurrection of Jesus. Jesus signals Gods intention at the very beginning of his ministry
by calling into his inner circle human beings of frailty and sin, that they might become his
disciples and witness the truth of the Gospel for themselves. In Johns Gospel, Christs prayer
is that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in my and I am in you, may they also be in
us56. It is this embodiment of Gods will in Christ that leads to the early Church community
being a communion of individuals of varied and complex pasts who share in common all
things, but chiefly Christ: crucified, risen and ascended.
We witness this more recognisable community57 in the book of Acts where the early Church
devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and fellowship, to the breaking bread and the
prayers. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their
possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day they
spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad
and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day
the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.58 With a window into the life
of the early church, we can ascertain a number of features which make Christian community
not only possible but life-giving, salvific and unifying. Central to all of this, is the
understanding that they are in fact called as one, brought together by God with Christ as their
focus and their stay.
These features which are explicitly recalled in the rules of Benedict and Wesley are first:
common purpose, common calling, a common goal towards which the whole community is
journeying. This goal allows the people in the community to be of one heart and mind.
Ultimately, this goal is Christ and the destination is eternity. In monastic terms the key
question asked of potential new members of the community is Quid Petis For what do you
seek?, Michael Casey in his book Strangers to the City writes:
Whatever brings a person to embrace the monastic way, it is unlikely to be sufficient for a
lifetimeit means living in the insecurity of Gods mercy and that of the community.59
In seeking community, it is not enough to seek, but essential also to know what is being
sought if the seeking is to last a lifetime. In Wesleyan terms, the question might be poised in
this way: Do you have a desire to flee from the wrath to come, [and] to be saved from
55
Matthew 4:18-22.
56
John 17:21
57
For more on Christian Community see, Jean Vanier (2007), Community and Growth,
(London: Darton, Longman and Todd.)
58
Acts 2:42, 44-47
59
Michael Casey (2013), Strangers to the City: Reflections on the Beliefs and Values of the
Rule of Saint Benedict., (Massachusetts: Paraclete Press.) p.4.
14
si[n]?60 For it is in seeking that holiness without which no-one may see the Lord, that the
early Methodists endeavoured to live towards in unity. Secondly, another feature is gathering
around the historical teaching of the church for the benefit of community edification and
memory, and to repeat in community those things which the Lord has commanded us to do:
the selling of possessions, the breaking of bread, the coming together for prayer and
fellowship. These are the marks of Christian community as given to us by the early church in
Acts, and these are the things which remain essential in the rules of both Benedict and
Wesley. Evidence of this is Benedicts inclusion of Priests61in the Rule both in chapter 60,
and chapter 62 giving advice to how these priests are to be received and affirming their
priestly62 duties at the altar for the benefit of the whole community. Benedict also gives
extreme importance to the approach to prayer which is a central aspect, as it was for the early
church, of community life. He says in the prologue to the Rule: make prayer the first step in
anything.
In relation to Wesley, the evidence of the marks of Christian community is seen in his Rules
of the Society, number 6 in particular which says that members of the Societies are to show
their desire for salvation by attending upon all the Ordinances of God which he lists as the
Lords Supper, Corporate and Private prayer, and scriptural study. In all of these activities,
what is most central to Benedict and Wesley is the building up of the Body of Christ in the
(koinonia), the fellowship or communion of the Christian family. It is the Holy
Spirit who in their understandings, brings to the hearts of the created the love of the creator,
which is revealed in the cross and resurrection of Christ, and it is the Holy Spirit who brings
us into community with God.63 This type of Christian community, and communion with God
is not possible in human strength, but as Benedict makes clear at the end of the Rule, only
through the grace and mercy of God who every day calls us out of ourselves into relationship
with him, and others.
V The Rule of Benedict and Rules of Wesley in Critical Dialogue
In seeking to engage the two texts with each other, it is helpful to understand that in terms of
quantity, Benedicts Rule is far larger and more detailed than any Rule by John Wesley.
Evidently, the fact that both men wrote their Rules down reveals a commitment to the idea of
a rule, and the possible intention that it be handed down beyond its immediate receptive
audience.
Benedicts Rule has the flavour and characteristic of an aged and mature work, whilst
Wesleys Rule is, like the man himself, small, succinct and pragmatic. An initial observation
is that Wesleys Rules for example, are written with the absence of a prologue, and they do
60
John Wesley (1743), Rules of the Society found in: The Constitutional Practice and
Discipline of the Methodist Church: Volume 1. (1951), (London: Methodist Publishing
House). p.74.
61
John M. Todd (1958), John Wesley and The Catholic Church., (London: The Catholic
Book Club). p.173: Wesley was always horrified at the idea of laymen [sic] performing
liturgical rituals normally confined to the priesthood.
62
John M. Todd (1958), John Wesley and The Catholic Church., (London: The Catholic
Book Club.) p.175. Wesley seemed to hold a catholic conception of the sacraments. As far
as the sacrament of order goes, there can be little doubt that he believed in the Catholic
doctrine of the validity of the sacraments, apart from the worthiness of the priest
63
Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1998), Sanctorum Communio,. (New York: Fortress Press.) p.165.
15
not quote scripture or refer to the author as explicitly as in the Rule of Benedict. This is
important, as Benedict unlike Wesley, clearly comprehends his role within the Rule and
within the community as that of a spiritual father instructing children.64 In Wesleys mind
what is essential is providing the reader of the Rules with a background to the cause of their
existence. He states that in 1739 eight or ten persons came to me in London, who appeared
to be deeply convinced of sin, and earnestly groaning for redemption. They desired (as did
two or three more the next day) that I would spend some time with them in prayer, and advise
them how to flee from the wrath to come, which they saw continually hanging over their
heads. That we might have more time for this great work, I appointed a day when they might
all come together; which, from thenceforth they did every week, viz. On Thursday, in the
evening. To these, and as many more as desired to join them (for their number increased
daily), I gave those advices from time to time which I judged most needful for them; and we
always concluded our meeting with prayer suited to their several necessities.65
Benedict and Wesley have together at the outset of their rules stated in varied ways, that it
has been written for those who are on a journey. For Benedict, the rule is the way to return to
Christ when you have strayed through the laxity and carelessness of disobedience66, for
Wesley it is a lifebuoy for those who came to him who appeared to be deeply convinced of
sin, and earnestly groaning for redemption.. In other words, the Rules of both individuals are
not for mere explorers but for those who are committed to experiencing and following Christ.
That in Benedicts mind the monastic community is a school for the Lords service67
suggests that it is a place for development, correction, support and mutual learning. Neither
author has composed their rule omitting references to Pauline material, Wesley recalling
Philippians 2:12 and Benedict referring to Romans 2:4, an appeal which Benedict makes
again in his rule, though later than the prologue when he writes: never [be] despairing of the
mercy of God.68
Self-denial is a central aspect in the teachings of both writers. Benedict insists that in order to
follow Christ, the monk must renounce his desires and ambitions69, Wesley understands that
an individual can show their desire to follow Christ by regularly denying themselves, and
taking up their cross daily.70 Wesley remains hesitant to list in detail the ways in which
individuals may deny Christ rather than themselves through pleasure and the senses, but
Benedict is bold in recommending control of the body through self-discipline, restraining of
pleasure, and fasting.
64
Patrick Barry (2004), St Benedicts Rule,. (New Jersey USA: Hidden Spring.) p.45.
[Prologue]
65
House). p73.
66
Patrick Barry (2004), St Benedicts Rule,. (New Jersey USA: Hidden Spring). p.45.
[Prologue]
67
ibid. p.48.
68
ibid. p.62.
69
ibid. p.59.
70
House). p.75
16
Another focal point is care for others, and it is in the fourth Chapter of the Rule of Benedict
that we find the largest points of agreement between the Rules of each. The Christological
focus of the two is evident as both appeal to Jesus teaching71, Wesley encouraging
Methodists to do good by: giving food to the hungry, clothing the naked72, by visiting or
helping them that are sick or in prison.73 Benedict says that the monk must give help and
support to the poor; clothe the naked; visit the sick and bury the dead. Console and counsel
those who suffer in time of grief and bring comfort to those in sorrow.74In all this, there is a
constant exhortation to hold nothing above the love you should cherish for Christ.75 This
love manifests itself in a concern for the souls of all, and Wesley believes that the work of a
Helper is to save souls, and to be spent in that work.76
A commitment to discipline as the avenue in which that holy life which Christs longs for us
is brought to birth is also important for Wesleyan and Benedictine communities. This is a
distinctive element of Methodist life, mutual accountability, a particular sort of discipline
within Christian fellowship.77 Benedict encourages self-control in regard to ones mouth as
vital in the pursuit of Christian living, and in the sixth chapter of the Rule, he states a clear
condemnation of idle gossip, vulgarity and hilarity for the sake of itself. 78 Wesley disliked
the use of many words, and was opposed to uncharitable and unprofitable conversation;
particularly speaking evil of those in high office.79 Wesley is likely to have had reason to
believe that in order for community to succeed, a certain level of deference is needed for
those in high office. Benedict confronts this precise issue addressing general obedience and
humility with which to approach a superior.80
Whilst both Benedict and Wesley stress the need for ongoing development, they are also
excruciatingly clear that there are some who will choose destruction for themselves. Towards
the end of his rules, John Wesley presents a clear understanding that those who do not
observe the rules of the society, written upon every truly awakened heart, have no place
71
Matthew 25:35-36, Luke 4:16-21 &Luke 10:25-37
72
Both Benedict and Wesley understand Christian poverty to be an act of solidarity with the
poor. We see this too in the simplicity of a Methodist Ministers simple black habit and that
of a Benedictine Monk. This extends to all ranks of Methodist and Benedictine leadership.
73
House). p.74.
74
Patrick Barry (2004), St Benedicts Rule,. (New Jersey USA: Hidden Spring). pp.59-60.
[Chapter Four].
75 Patrick Barry (2004), St Benedicts Rule,. (New Jersey USA: Hidden Spring). p.60.
[Chapter Four].
76 John Wesley (1753), The Twelve Rules of a Helper found in: The Constitutional Practice
and Discipline of the Methodist Church: Volume 1. (1951), (London: Methodist Publishing
House). p.77.
77 Ted. A. Campbell, Methodist Doctrine: The Essentials., (Nashville: Abingdon Press.) p.73.
78 See the Sixth Chapter of the Rule.
House). p.77.
80
Adalbert de Voge (1977), The Rule of the Master,. (Michigan: Cistercian Publications).
p.74.
17
amongst the rest, who have been saved.81 That sense of ongoing development is seen in the
way the members within the class system would be asked each week the question: How does
your soul prosper?82 In a similar vein, Benedict encourages his followers to be open and
honest83 in confessing their failures and weaknesses to their superiors or spiritual guide.84
This went as far as financial responsibility for Wesley, requiring members of the societies to
show their account of what has been spent and contributed.85
It is unsurprising that in a community where finances are held in common, this does not
present itself as a sole issue in Benedicts Rule. What is paramount in every aspect of this, is
that accountability before God and before each other is of the utmost importance, for God is
indeed God of every time and place and the final one to whom we shall render an account.
As much faith as the two individuals have in God, they also believe deeply in the reality of
evil. Benedict compares the spirit which creates barriers to Gods grace at work in us and
which opens up the evil of hell, to the spirit which releases us from evil, and brings us closer
to life eternal. Above everything else, it is the fear of God and supremacy of Christ in the
values and hearts of those in the community which brings all together to eternity.86This spirit
is witnessed to by the mutual respect held in the community. With almost the feeling of an
addendum to the rule, Chapter 73 explains that the Rule is only a first step towards the
highest standards of monastic living, and Benedict commends the general teaching of the
Holy Fathers87 to anyone seeking extra guidance. He remains convinced in the general
authority of the sacred scriptures given to us by God as reliable guidance88, in all things the
call from both is to be faithful to Christ and to ask for his assistance to follow the rules,
which are only a beginning in all things, we must rely solely upon God. Wesley closes his
rule in an almost similar fashion, stating that his rules are simply those which we are taught
by God to observe, even in His written word, the only rule, and the sufficient rule, both of our
faith and practice. And all these we know, His Spirit writes on every truly awakened heart.
He closes the second set of Rules once again reminding the Helpers that they are to save
souls, and to do so as widely as possible that sinners might be brought to repentance. This is
to be done with all the Helpers power, to build them up in that holiness without which they
81
Discipline of the Methodist Church: Volume 1. (1951),. (London: Methodist Publishing
House). p.75
82
Elaine. A. Heath & Scott T.Kisker (2010), Longing for Spring: A New Vision for Wesleyan
Community,. (Cambridge: Lutterworth Press). p.34.
83
For More on Radical Self-Honesty, see
Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove (2010), The Wisdom of Stability,. (Massachusetts: Paraclete
Press). pp.141-146.
84
See Rule of Benedict Chapter Seven point 14.
Patrick Barry (2004), St Benedicts Rule,. (New Jersey USA: Hidden Spring.) pp.70-71.
85
House). p.73.
86
Patrick Barry (2004), St Benedicts Rule,. (New Jersey USA: Hidden Spring). pp.151-152.
87
It can certainly be thought that both Wesley (given the relationship to his mother) and
Benedict (given his relationship to Scholastica his sister) would make use of the Church
Mothers as well, particularly the female Doctors of the Church, and present female
theologians whose contributions sustain and nourish sound Christian belief.
88
Patrick Barry (2004), St Benedicts Rule,. (New Jersey USA: Hidden Spring). p.152.
18
cannot see the Lordtherefore you will need all the grace and all the sense you have, and to
have your wits about you.89
At the end of the day, Wesley was convinced that Christianity is essentially a social
religion, and that there is no holiness but social holiness.. Wainwright shows that some of
John Wesleys theological language, and that of his elder brother Charles suggests that the
Wesleys saw monasticism in some way as escapism, and not religion as it ought to truly be.
This is summed up in a verse of a hymn by Charles Wesley:
Not in the tombs we pine to dwell,

Not in the dark monastic cell,
By vows and grates confined;
Freely to all ourselves we give,
Constrained by Jesus love to live
The servants of mankind.90
However, Wainwright continues to say that Benedictinism may therefore be considered,

with no obstacle on the Methodist side, as a possible expression of that love of God and
neighbour in which the Wesleys judged holiness to consist.91 The question may be raised as
to why an experience of community within the bounds of a monastery cannot be considered a
social experiment/experience of religion, as social and as valid as Wesleys ideal. The fact
that Benedicts rule has so many routes for reconciliation and amendment of life shows the
degree to which social monastic life exists in a very real way with all the dynamics and
difficulties of so-called ordinary external societal relationships.
VI. Conclusion
To conclude then, my findings have revealed that although the two men with whom this
thesis has been primarily concerned were born years apart, and their theological traditions
giving the outward92 appearance of difference, they are indeed partners of a glorious hope
whose lives were lived in a single pursuit. Benedict and Wesley, whilst writing very different
rules in relation to quantitative contribution and occasional theological emphases, have
together provided the monk, the Methodist, and indeed the Christian; whether Catholic,
Orthodox93 or Protestant with a set of rules pertaining to how to live to the glory and honour
House). p.78.
90 Geoffrey Wainwright (1995), Methodists in Dialog, (Nashville: Abingdon Press). pp.89-
90.
91
ibid. p.90.
92
Gordon Rupp (1960), talks of what John Scott Lidgett referred to as inward Catholicity.
Which consists in the fellowship of a great experiencefellowship with the saints through
common access to God.. Protestant Catholicity, (London: Epworth Press). pp33-56.
93
Monasticism in the Greek Churches has a history of monks as leaders, and the practice of
confession to a superior took root in that community in the spirit of Benedicts instruction,
19
of God, to the benefit of society and neighbour within the principles and confines of the
Gospel. St Benedict wrote for an audience under an abbot, a community apparently restrained
by the monastery enclosure. John Wesley wrote for individuals whose monastery94 was the
class meeting, the preaching circuit, and the globe, set under leaders in different communities
and places. Yet, both wrote in order that those individuals (and those who gaze upon their
activity) might grow into the stature of Christ. It has been difficult to present those areas in
which the two do not explicitly agree in what is contained in their rules, and this seems to
bear witness to their mutual understanding and fellowship as Christian thinkers. Both are
profoundly aware of the longer Christian succession out of which they, and those whom they
write for, come. Both write with reference to Pauline texts, and both are unwavering in their
use and conviction of the necessity of Holy Scripture, and the Sacrament of Holy
Communion to Christian community.
My contention has been that for all of Wesleys courage as an open-air preacher, and priest of
the established Church, he fails at times to truly make the rules his own, to set them in a
wider scriptural and historical context, and is evidently reluctant to speak as Benedict does,
out of his own experience as a spiritual father. To suspect that this is due to Wesleys piety is
simply unfounded misjudgement. Added to this, with Wesleys deep understanding and
admiration of the historic Church, and indeed his commitment to systematically reading great
spiritual writers, these sadly receive no mention in his rules.
At times, Wesley seems reluctant to acknowledge the inheritance brought to him as an

Anglican by way of Catholic Monasticism, yet this does not appear unusual for a man of his
day. He also seems occasionally less convinced of the necessity of community in the way in
which the monastic tradition enables and preserves that with a stability, continuity and
commitment to a set space, location and rhythm of life. Some may perceive Benedict to have
been over prescriptive in his own rule in terms of defining how his monks should sleep and
what they should wear, yet it seems remiss of Wesley to not explicitly make mention of the
precise qualities his leaders should have and how they ought to live in the mundane everyday
practicalities of life, as these too impact the mission and ministry of the Church. The brevity
of Wesleys rules and their very clear contextualisation may be the reason that in common
Methodist parlance they are not often spoken of, and unlike the Rule of Benedict, do not
share such admiration, attention or popularity in the wider Christian community or world. It
would be useful, if both Benedict and Wesley were able to meet in the middle and combine
the best of both their rules into one the benefit being not a profound change in content, but
in structure and emphases. It reads, Benedicts Rule, as a text so catholically neutral that
Wesley could hardly find error with it, and Wesleys rules read so polemically un-provoking
that Benedict could hardly fault it in light of his own rule. At times, Benedicts rule gives the
feel of a text obsessed with sin and faults, but his providing of reprimands reveals a man who
after which regular confession was introduced. See: Hubert Cunliffe-Jones Ed. (1978), A
History of Christian Doctrine, (London: T&T Clark). p.239.
94
John. M. Todd (1958), John Wesley and The Catholic Church, (London: The Catholic
Book Club). p.75. he, Wesley, never tried to found a quasi-monastic, self-sufficient
community. His aim was always the direct apostolate; nothing must be put before the one
task of bringing the good news of Jesus Christ to people who were in need of it. And yet, his
task of building up a body of preachers, his task of selecting an elite, made him think
particularly in terms of community.
20
is deeply committed to reconciliation, mercy and restorative justice for the benefit of the
individual and the community.
Regardless of these contentions, one can conclude by stating that in both the Benedictine and
Methodist communities, the two writers entirely hold their own as individuals who are
undeniably two unique thinkers and committed practical theologians. Both Benedict and
Wesley deserve a place of honour in the history of the Church, and thus in its future. That
many still turn to Benedict and to Wesley as figures of inspiration reveals that they are indeed
lights in a benighted land95 whose rules have stood the test of time for their wisdom, insight,
humanity and understanding.
VII. Appendices
APPENDIX A
Sections of Saint Benedicts Rule by Dom Patrick Barry OSB
PROLOGUE: Prologue to the Rule
1. Listen, child of God, to the guidance of your teacher. Attend to the message you hear
and make sure that it pierces to your heart, so that you may accept with willing
freedom, and fulfil by the way you live, the directions that come from your loving
Father. It is not easy to accept and persevere in obedience, but it is the way to return
to Christ, when you have strayed through the laxity and carelessness of disobedience,
My words are addressed to you especially, whoever you may be, whatever your
circumstances, who turn from the pursuit of your own self will and ask to enlist under
Christ, who is Lord of all, by following him through taking to yourself that strong and
blessed armor of obedience which he made his own on coming into our world.
2. This, then, is the beginning of my advice: make prayer the first step in anything
worthwhile that you attempt. Persevere and do not weaken in that prayer. Pray with
confidence, because God, in his love and forgiveness, has counted us as his own sons
and daughters. Surely we should not, by our evil acts, heartlessly reject that love. At
95
In the spirit of Matthew 5:14-16, the phrase Lights in a Benighted Land is taken from
Charles Wesleys Hymn: Come, and Let us Sweetly Join.
http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/c/o/m/e/comelusj.htm [Accessed April 2017].
21
every moment of our lives, as we use the good things he has given us, we can respond
to his love only by seeking to obey his will for us. If we should refuse, what wonder
to find ourselves disinherited! What wonder if he, confronted and repelled by the evil
in us, should abandon us like malicious and rebellious subject to the never-ending
pain of separation since we refused to follow him to glory.
3. However late, then, it may seem, let us rouse ourselves from lethargy. That is what
the scripture urges on us when it says: The time has come for us to rouse ourselves
from sleep. Let us open our eyes to the light that can change us into the likeness of
God. Let our ears be alert to the stirring call of his voice crying to us every day:
Today, if you should hear his voice, do not harden your hearts. And again: Let anyone
with ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. And this is what the
Spirit says: Come my children, hear me, and I shall teach you the fear of the Lord.
Run, while you have the light of life, before the darkness of death overtakes you.
4. It is to find workers in his cause that God calls out like that to all peoples. He calls to
us in another way in the psalm when he says, Who is there with a love of true life
and a longing for days of real fulfilment? If you should hear that call and answer, I,
this is the answer you will receive from God: If you wish to have that true life that
lasts for ever, then keep your tongue from evil; let your lips speak no deceit; turn
away from wrongdoing; seek out peace and pursue it. If you do that, he says, I shall
look on you with such love and my ears will be so alert o your prayer that, before you
so much as call on me, I shall say to you: Here I am. What gentler encouragement
could we have, my dear brothers and sisters, than the word from the Lord calling us to
himself in such a way! We can see with what loving concern the Lord points out to us
the path of life.
5. And so to prepare ourselves for the journey before us, let us renew our faith and set
ourselves high standards by which to lead our lives. The gospel should be our guide in
following the way of Christ to prepare ourselves for his presence in the kingdom to
which he has called us. If we want to make our lasting home in his holy kingdom, the
only way is to set aright the course of our lives in doing what is good. We should
make our own the psalmists question: Lord, who will dwell in your kingdom or who
will find rest on your holy mountain? In reply we may hear from the same psalmist
the Lords answer to show us the way that leads to his kingdom: anyone who leads a
life without guile, who does what is right, who speaks truth from the heart, on whose
tongue there is no deceit, who never harms a neighbour nor believes evil reports about
another, who at once rejects outright from the heart the devils temptations to sin,
destroying them utterly at the first onset by casting them before Christ himself .Such a
follower of Christ lies in reverence of him and does not take the credit for a good life
but, believing that all the good we do comes from the Lord, gives him the credit and
thanksgiving for what his gift brings about in our hearts. In that spirit our prayer from
the psalm should be: Not to us, O Lord, not to us give the glory but to your own
name. That is Saint Pauls example, for he took no credit to himself for his preaching
when he said: It is by Gods grace that I am what I am. And again he says: Let anyone
who wants to boast, boast in the Lord.
22
6. The Lord himself in the gospel teaches us the same when he says: I shall liken anyone
who hears my words and carries them out in deed to one who is wise enough to build
on a rock; then the floods came and the winds blew and struck that house, but it did
not fall because it was built on a rock. It is in the light of that teaching that the Lord
waits for us every day to see if we will respond by our deeds, as we should, to his
holy guidance. For that very reason also, so that we may mend our evil ways, the days
of our mortal lives are allowed us as a sort of truce for improvement. So Saint Paul
says: Do you not know that God is patient with us so as to lead us to repentance? The
Lord himself says in his gentle care for us: I do not want the death of a sinner; let all
sinners rather turn away from sin and live.
7. Well then, brothers and sisters, we have questioned the Lord about who can dwell
with him in his holy place and we have heard the demands he makes on such a one;
we can be united with him there only if we fulfil those demands. We must, therefore,
prepare our hearts and bodies to serve him under the guidance of holy obedience.
Conscious in this undertaking of our own weakness, let us ask the Lord to give us
through his grace the help we need. If we want to avoid the pain of self-destruction in
hell and come to eternal life, then, while we still have the time in this mortal life and
the opportunity to fulfil what God asks of us through a life guided by his light, we
must hurry forward and act in a way that will bring us blessings in eternal life.
8. With all this in mind, what we mean to establish is a school for the Lords service. In
the guidance we lay down to achieve this, we hope to impose nothing harsh or
burdensome. If, however, you find in it anything which seems rather strict, but which
is demanded reasonably for the correction of vice or the preservation of love, do not
let that frighten you into fleeing from the way of salvation; it is a way which is bound
to seem narrow to start with. But, as we progress in this monastic way of life and in
faith, our hearts will warm to its vision, and with a love full of delight that cannot be
put into words, we shall go forward on the way of Gods commandments. Then we
shall never think of deserting his guidance; we shall persevere in the monastery until
death in fidelity to his teaching, and so through our patience we shall share in the
passion of Christ so that in the end we may receive also a share in his kingdom.
Amen.
CHAPTER FOUR: Guidelines for Christian and Monastic Good Practice
1. The first of all things to aim at is to love the Lord God with your heart and soul and
strength, and then to love your neighbour as much as you love yourself. The other
commandments flow from these two: not to kill, not to commit adultery, not to steal,
not to indulge covetous and base desires, not to give false evidence against another, to
give due honour to all, and not to inflict on someone else what you would resent if it
were done to yourself.
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2. Renounce your own desires and ambitions so as to be free to follow Christ. Control
your body with self-discipline; dont give yourself to unrestrained pleasure; learn to
value the self-restraint of fasting. Give help and support to the poor; clothe the naked;
visit the sick and bury the dead. Console and counsel those who suffer in time of grief
and bring comfort to those in sorrow.
3. Dont get too involved in purely worldly affairs, and count nothing more important
than the love you should cherish for Christ. Dont let your actions be governed by
anger nor nurse your anger against a future opportunity of indulging it. Dont harbour
in your heart any trace of deceit nor pretend to be at peace with another when you are
not; dont abandon the true standards of charity. Dont use oaths to make your point
for fear of perjury, but speak the truth with integrity of heart and tongue.
4. If you are harmed by anyone, never repay it by returning the harm. In fact, you should
never inflict any injury on another but bear patiently whatever you have to suffer.
Love your enemies, then; refrain from speaking evil, but rather call a blessing on
those who speak evil of you; if you are persecuted for favouring a just cause, then
bear it patiently.
5. Avoid all pride and self-importance. Dont drink to excess nor overeat. Dont be lazy
nor give way to excessive sleep. Dont be a murmurer, and never in speaking take
away the good name of another.
6. Your hope of fulfilment should be centred in God alone. When you see any good in
yourself, then, dont take it to be your very own, but acknowledge it as a gift from
God. On the other hand you may be sure that any evil you do is always your own and
you may safely acknowledge your responsibility.
7. You should recognize with awe that there will be a day of judgment for all of us,
which should make us fear the doom of an evil life. Above all, however, you should
cultivate a longing for eternal life with a desire of great spiritual intensity. Keep the
reality of death always before your eyes, have a care about how you act every hour of
your life, and be sure that God is present everywhere and that he certainly sees and
understands what you are about.
8. Whenever evil thoughts occur to your mind, cast them down at the feet of Christ and
talk about them frankly to your spiritual father or mother. Take care to avoid any
speech that is evil and degenerate. It is also well to avoid empty talk that has no
purpose except to raise a laugh. As for laughter that is unrestrained and raucous, it is
not good to be attracted to that sort of thing.
9. You should take delight in listening to sacred reading and in often turning generously
to prayer. You should also in that prayer daily confess to God with heartfelt
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repentance any evil you have done in the past, and for the future have the firm
purpose to put right any wrong you may have done.
10. Dont act out the sensuous desires that occur to you naturally, and turn away from the
pursuit of your own will. Rather, you should follow in obedience the directions your
abbot or abbess gives you, even if they, which God forbid, should contradict their
own teaching by the way they live. In such a case just remember the Lords advice
about the example of the Pharisees: Accept and follow the teaching but on no account
imitate their actions.
11. No one should aspire to gain a reputation for holiness. First of all, we must actually
become holy; then there would be some truth in having a reputation for it. The way to
become holy is to fulfil Gods commandments faithfully every day by loving chastity,
by hating no one, by avoiding envy and hostile rivalry, by not becoming full of self by
showing due respect for our elders and love for those who are younger, by praying in
the love of Christ for those who are hostile to us, by seeking reconciliation and peace
before the sun goes down whenever we have a quarrel with another, and finally by
never despairing of the mercy of God.
12. These, then, are the guidelines to lead us alone the way of spiritual achievement. If we
follow them day and night and never on any account give up, so that on judgement
day we can give an account of our fidelity to them, then that reward will be granted us
by the Lord which he himself promised in the scriptures: What no eye has seen nor
ear heard God has prepared for those who love him.
13. The workshop in which we are called to work with steady perseverance along these
guidelines is the enclosure of the monastery and stability in community life.
CHAPTER SEVEN: The Value of Humility
1. The Word of God in scripture teaches us in clear and resounding terms that anyone
who lays claim to a high position will be brought low and anyone who is modest in
self-appraisal will be lifted up. This is Christs teaching about the guest who took the
first place at the kings banquet: All who exalt themselves, he said, will be humbled
and all who humble themselves will be exalted. He taught us by these words that
whenever one of us is raised to a position of prominence, there is always an element
of pride involved. The psalmist shows his concern to avoid this when he says: There
is no pride in my heart, O Lord, nor arrogance in the look of my eyes; I have not
aspired to a role too great for me nor to the glamour of pretensions that are beyond
me. We should be wary of such pride. And why does he say this? It is because lack of
humility calls for correction and so the psalm goes on: If I failed to keep a modest
spirit and raised my ambitions too high, then your correction would come down on
me as though I were nothing but a newly weaned child on its mothers lap.
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2. If the peak of our endeavour, then, is to achieve profound humility, if we are eager to
be raised quickly to that heavenly height to which we can climb only through humility
during our present life, then let us make for ourselves a ladder like the one which
Jacob saw in his dream. On that ladder angels of God were shown to him going up
and down in a constant exchange between heaven and earth. It is just such an
exchange that we need to establish in our own lives, but with this difference for us:
Our proud attempts at upward climbing will really bring us down, whereas to step
downward in humility is the way to lift our spirit up toward God.
3. This ladder, then, will symbolize for each of us our life in this world during which we
aspire to be lifted up to heaven by the Lord if only we can learn humility in our hearts.
We can imagine that he has placed the steps of the ladder, held in place by the sides
which signify our living body and soul, to invite us to climb on them. Paradoxically,
to climb upward will take us down to earth but stepping down will lift us toward
heaven. The steps themselves, then, mark the decisions we are invited by God to
make in the exercise of humility and self-discipline.
4. The first step of humility is to cherish at all times the sense of awe with which we
should ever turn to God. It should drive all forgetfulness away; it should keep our
minds alive to all Gods guidance and commandments; it should make us reflect in
our hearts again and again that those who despise God and reject his love prepare for
themselves that irreversible spiritual death which is meant by hell, just as eternal life
is prepared for those who fear God.
5. One who follows that way finds protection at all times from sin and vice of thought,
of tongue, of hand, of foot, of self-will, and of disordered sensual desire, so as to lead
a life that is completely open before the scrutiny of God and of his angels who watch
over us from hour to hour. This is made clear by the psalmist who shows that God is
always present to our very thoughts when he says: God searches the hearts and
thoughts of men and women. And Again: The Lord knows the thoughts of all. And:
From afar you know my thought. And again: The thoughts of men and women shall
give you praise. Thus it may help one concerned about thoughts that are perverse to
repeat the psalmists heartfelt saying: I shall be blameless in his sight only if I guard
myself from my own wickedness.
6. As to pursuing our own will, we are warned against that when scripture says to us:
Turn away from your own desires, and in the Lords Prayer itself we pray that his will
may be brought to fulfilment in us. It is therefore right that we should learn not to
seek our own will and to learn from that warning in holy scripture which says: There
are ways which seem right to human eyes, but their end plunges down into the depths
of hell. Another good sign is to be afraid of what scripture says of those who reject
such advice: They are corrupt and have become depraved in their pleasure seeking.
7. As to sensual desires we should believe that they are not hidden from God, for the
psalmist says to the Lord: All my desires are known to you. We must indeed be on
our guard against evil desires because spiritual death is not far from the gateway to
wrongful pleasure, so that scripture gives us this clear direction: Do not pursue your
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lusts. And so, if the eyes of the Lord are watching the good and the wicked, and if at
all times the Lord looks down from heaven on the sons and daughters of men to see if
any show understanding in seeking God, and if the angels assigned to care for us
report our deeds to the Lord day and night, then we must be on our guard every hour
or else, as the psalmist says, the time may come when God will observe us falling into
evil and so made worthless. He may spare us for a while during this life, because he is
a loving Father who waits and longs for us to do better, but in the end his rebuke may
come upon us with the words: You were guilty of these crimes and I was silent.
8. The second step of humility is not to love having our own way nor to delight in our
own desires. Instead we should take as our model for imitation the Lord himself when
he says: I have come not to indulge my own desires but to do the will of him who sent
me. Again remember that scripture says: Punishment awaits us for following our own
will, but there is a crown of victory for doing what is required of us.
9. The third step of humility is to submit oneself out of love of God to whatever
obedience under a superior may require of us; it is the example of the Lord himself
that we follow in this way, as we know from Saint Pauls words: He was made
obedient even unto death.
10. The fourth step of humility is to go even further than this by readily accepting in
patient and silent endurance, without thought of giving up or avoiding the issue, any
hard and demanding things that may come our way in the course of that obedience,
even if they include harsh impositions which are unjust. We are encouraged to such
patience by the wrath of scripture: Whoever perseveres to the very end will be saved.
And again there is the saying of the psalm: Be steadfast in your heart and trust in the
Lord. Then again there is that verse from another psalm: It is for you we face death all
the day long and are counted as sheep for the slaughter.
11. Those who follow in that way have a sure hope of reward from God and they are
joyful with Saint Pauls words on their lips: In all these things we are more than
conquerors through him who loved us. They remember also the psalm: You, O God,
have tested us and have tried us as silver is tried; you led us, God, into the snare; you
laid a heavy burden on our backs. Then this is added in the psalm: You placed leaders
over us to show us how we should be under a superior. In this way they fulfil the
Lords command through patience in spite of adversity and in spite of any wrongs
they may suffer; struck on one cheek, they offer the other; when robbed of their coat,
they let their cloak go also; pressed to go one mile, they willingly go two; with the
Apostle Paul they put up with false brethren and shower blessings on those who curse
them.
12. The fifth step of humility is that we should not cover up but humbly confess to our
superior or spiritual guide whatever evil thoughts come into our minds and the evil
deeds we have done in secret. That is what scripture urges on us when it says: Make
known to the Lord the way you have taken and trust in him. Then again it says:
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Confess to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endures for ever. And again: I have
made known to you my sin and have not covered over my wrongdoing. I have said:
Against myself I shall proclaim my own faults to the Lord, and you have forgiven the
wickedness of my heart.
13. The sixth step of humility for monks or nuns is to accept without complaint really
wretched and inadequate conditions and then whatever the task they may be ordered
to perform, they should think of themselves as poor workers not worthy of
consideration, saying quietly to themselves with the psalmist: I am of no account and
lack understanding, no better than a beast in your sight. Yet I am always in your
presence.
14. The seventh step of humility is that we should be ready to speak of ourselves as of
less important and less worthy than others, not as a mere phrase on our lips, but as
something we believe in the secret conviction of our hearts. Thus in a spirit of
humility we make the psalmists words our own: I am no more than a worm with no
claim to human dignity, for I am despised by all and cast out by my own people. I was
raised up high in honor, but then I was humbled and overwhelmed with confusion. In
the end we may learn to say: It was good for me, Lord, that you humbled me so that I
might learn your precepts.
15. The eighth step of humility teaches us to do nothing as monks and nuns which goes
beyond what is approved and encouraged by the common rule of the monastery and
the example of our seniors.
16. The ninth step of humility leads us to refrain from unnecessary speech and to guard
our silence by not speaking until we are addressed. That is what scripture
recommends with these sayings: Anyone who is forever chattering will not escape sin,
and there is another saying from a psalm: One who never stops talking loses the right
way in life.
17. The tenth step of humility teaches us not to be given to empty laughter on every least
occasion because: A fools voice is forever raised in laughter.
18. The eleventh degree of humility is concerned with the manner of speech appropriate
in a monastery. We should speak gently and seriously with words that are unassuming
but serious. We should be brief and reasonable in whatever we have to say and not
raise our voices to insist on our own opinions. We should remember the saying that
the wise are to be recognized by the fewness of their words.
19. The twelfth step of humility is concerned with the external impression conveyed by
those dedicated to monastic life. The humility of their hearts should never be apparent
to all who see them, even in their bodily movements. Whether they are at the work of
God, at prayer in the oratory, walking about the monastery, in the garden, on a
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journey, or in the fields, wherever they may be, whether sitting, walking, or standing,
they should be free of any hint of arrogance or pride in their manner or the way they
look about them. They should guard their eyes and look down. They should remember
that they are at all times answerable for their sins just as though they already stood
before the awesome judgement of God, repeating always in their hearts the words of
the publican in the gospel as he stood with his eyes cast down, saying: Lord, I am not
worthy, sinner that I am, to lift my eyes to the heavens. Or the words of the psalmist
might fit just as well: I am bowed down and utterly humbled.
20. Any monk or nun who has climbed all these steps of humility will come quickly to
that love of God which in its fullness casts out all fear. Carried forward by that love,
they will begin to observe without effort as though naturally from good habit all those
precepts which in earlier days were kept at least partly through fear. A new motive
will have taken over, not fear of hell but the love of Christ. Good habit and delight in
virtue will carry them along. This happy state the Lord will bring about through the
Holy Spirit in his servant, whom he has cleansed of vice and sin and taught to be a
true and faithful worker in the kingdom.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-TWO: The Good Spirit That Should Inspire Monastic Life
1. It is easy to recognize the bitter spirit of wickedness which creates a barrier to Gods
grace and opens the way to the evil of hell. But equally there is a good spirit which
frees us from evil ways and brings us closer to God and eternal life. It is this latter
spirit that all who follow the monastic way of life should strive to cultivate, spurred
on by fervent love. By following this path, they try to be first to show respect to one
another, with the greatest patience in tolerating weaknesses of body and character.
They should even be ready to outdo each other in mutual obedience, so that no one in
the monastery aims at personal advantage but is rather concerned for the good of
others. Thus, the pure love of one another as belonging to one family should be their
ideal. As for God, they should fear him with deep reverence. They should love their
abbot or abbess with sincere and unassuming affection. They should value nothing
whatever about Christ himself, and may he bring us all together to eternal life.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-THREE: The Rule is Only a Beginning
1. The purpose for which we have written this Rule is to make it clear that, by observing
it in our monasteries, we can at least achieve the first steps in virtue and good
monastic practice. Anyone, however, who wishes to press on toward the highest
standards of monastic life may turn to the teachings of the holy Fathers, which can
lead those who follow them to the very heights of perfection. Indeed, what page, what
saying from the sacred scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, is not given us by
the authority of God as reliable guidance for our lies on earth? Then there are the
Conferences and Institutes and the Lives of the Fathers and the Rule of our holy father
Basil. What else are these works but the means of true progress in virtue for those
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aiming at high standards of observance and obedience in monastic life? We, however,
can only blush with shame when we reflect on the idle negligence and inadequacy of
the monastic lives we lead.
2. Whoever you may be, then, in your eagerness to reach your Fathers home in heaven,
be faithful with Christs help to this little Rule, which is only a beginning. Starting
from there you may in the end aim at the greater heights of monastic teaching and
virtue in the works which we have mentioned above, and with Gods help you will
then be able to reach those heights yourself. Amen.
APPENDIX B
Part 1 The Wesleys Rules of the Society, 1743
The original basis of membership in the Methodist Church is found in the Rules of the
Society of the People called Methodists promulgated by John and Charles Wesley in 1743.
The Deed of Union in Clause 33(a) (Vol. 2, Book II, Part 1) preserves the essential meaning
of the opening paragraph in Section 4 of these Rules. The modern setting of First,
Secondly and Thirdly is found in the various declarations of the Conference on social
questions. As to Section 3, see now Clause 9 of the Deed and Standing Order 631 (Vol. 2,
Book III, Part 6).
Rules of the Society of the People called Methodists
1. In the latter end of the year 1739, eight or ten persons came to me in London, who
appeared to be deeply convinced of sin, and earnestly groaning for redemption. They desired
(as did two or three more the next day) that I would spend some time with them in prayer,
and advise them how to flee from the wrath to come, which they saw continually hanging
over their heads. That we might have more time for this great work, I appointed a day when
they might all come together; which, from thenceforth they did every week, viz. on Thursday,
in the evening. To these, and as many more as desired to join them (for their number
increased daily), I gave those advices from time to time which I judged most needful for
them; and we always concluded our meeting with prayer suited to their several necessities.
2. This was the rise of the UNITED SOCIETY, first in London, and then in other places.
Such a Society is no other than a company of men, having the form, and seeking the power,
of godliness; united, in order to pray together, to receive the word of exhortation, and to
watch over one another in love, that they may help each other to work out their salvation.
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3. That it may the more easily be discerned whether they are indeed working out their own
salvation, each Society is divided into smaller companies, called Classes, according to their
respective places of abode. There are about twelve persons in every Class, one of whom is
styled the Leader. It is his business
1. (1) To see each person in his Class once a week at least, in order
To inquire how their souls prosper;
To advise, reprove, comfort, or exhort, as occasion may require;
To receive what they are willing to give towards the support of the
Gospel.
2. (2) To meet the Ministers and the Stewards of the Society once a week, in order
To inform the Minister of any that are sick, or of any that walk disorderly, and will not be
reproved;
To pay the Stewards what they have received of their several Classes in the week preceding;
and
To show their account of what each person has contributed.
4. There is only one condition required in those who desire admission into these Societies;
viz. a desire to flee from the wrath to come, to be saved from their sins. But wherever this is
really fixed in the soil it will be shown by its fruits. It is therefore expected of all who
continue therein that they should continue to evidence their desire of salvation,
FIRST, By doing no harm, by avoiding evil in every kind; especially that which is most
generally practised. Such is
The taking the name of God in vain;
The profaning the day of the Lord, either by doing ordinary work thereon, or by buying or
selling; Drunkenness; buying or selling spirituous liquors, or drinking them, unless in cases
of extreme necessity; Fighting, quarrelling, brawling; brother going to law with brother;
returning evil for evil, or railing for railing; the using many words in buying or selling;
The buying or selling uncustomed goods;
The giving or taking things on usury; i.e. unlawful interest;
Uncharitable or unprofitable conversation; particularly speaking evil of
Magistrates or of Ministers;
Doing to others as we would not they should do unto us;
Doing what we know is not for the glory of God: as
The putting on of gold or costly apparel;
The taking such diversions as cannot be used in the name of the LORD
JESUS; The singing those songs, or reading those books, which do not tend to the knowledge
or love of God; Softness, and needless self-indulgence; Laying up treasures upon earth;
Borrowing without a probability of paying; or taking up goods without a
probability of paying for them.
5. It is expected of all who continue in these Societies that they should continue to evidence
their desire of salvation.
SECONDLY, By doing good, by being in every kind merciful after their power; as they have
opportunity, doing good of every possible sort, and, as far as is possible, to all men;
To their bodies, of the ability that God giveth, by giving food to the hungry, by clothing the
naked, by visiting or helping them that are sick or in prison;
To their souls, by instructing, reproving, or exhorting all they have any intercourse with;
trampling under foot that enthusiastic doctrine of devils, that we are not to do good, unless
our heart be free to it.
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By doing good, especially to them that are of the household of faith or groaning so to be;
employing them preferably to others, buying one of another, helping each other in business;
and so much the more, because the world will love its own, and them only.
By all possible diligence and frugality, that the Gospel be not blamed.
By running with patience the race that is set before them, denying themselves, and taking up
their cross daily; submitting to bear the reproach of Christ; to be as the filth and offscouring
of the world; and looking that men should say all manner of evil of them falsely, for the
Lords sake.
6. It is expected of all who desire to continue in these Societies, that they should continue to
evidence their desire of salvation,
THIRDLY, By attending upon all the Ordinances of GOD; such are: The public worship of
God;
The ministry of the Word, either read or expounded;
The Supper of the Lord;
Family and private prayer; Searching the Scriptures; and Fasting or abstinence.
7. These are the General Rules of our Societies; all which we are taught of God to observe,
even in His written Word, the only rule, and the sufficient rule, both of our faith and practice.
And all these we know His Spirit writes on every truly awakened heart. If there be any
among us who observe them not, who habitually break any of them, let it be made known
unto them who watch over that soul, as they that must give an account. We will admonish
him of the error of his ways: we will bear with him for a season. But then if he repent not, he
hath no more place among us. We have delivered our own souls.
May 1, 1743 JOHN WESLEY.

CHARLES WESLEY.
APPENDIX C
Part 2 The Twelve Rules of a Helper, 1753
At the first Methodist Conference held in London in 1744 the disciplinary rules of the
itinerant preachers were formulated. As revised by the Conference in 1753 and entitled The
Twelve Rules of a Helper they were later associated with the Resolutions on Pastoral Work
known as the Liverpool Minutes 1820 (see below) and directed to be read annually in the
pastoral session of the May Synod.
1. Be diligent. Never be unemployed. Never be triflingly employed. Never while away

time, nor spend more time at any place than is strictly necessary.
2. Be serious. Let your motto be Holiness to the Lord. Avoid all lightness, jesting, and
foolish talking.
3. Converse sparingly and cautiously with women, particularly with young women.
4. Take no step towards marriage without solemn prayer to God, and consulting with
your Brethren.
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5. Believe evil of no one unless fully proved; take heed how you credit it. Put the best
construction you can on everything. You know the Judge is always supposed to be on
the prisoners side.
6. Speak evil of no one; else your word, especially, would eat as doth a canker. Keep
your thoughts within your own breast till you come to the person concerned.
7. Tell every one what you think wrong in him, lovingly and plainly; and as soon as may
be, else it will fester in your own heart. Make all haste to cast the fire out of your
bosom.
8. Do not affect the gentleman. A Preacher of the Gospel is the servant of all.
9. Be ashamed of nothing but sin; no, not of cleaning your own shoes, when necessary.
10. Be punctual. Do everything exactly at the time. And do not mend our Rules, but keep
them; and that for conscience sake.
11. You have nothing to do but to save souls. Therefore spend and be spent in this work.
And go always, not only to those who want you but to those who want you most.
12. Act in all things, not according to your own will, but as a Son in the Gospel, and in
union with your Brethren.
As such, it is your part to employ your time as our Rules direct: partly in preaching, and
visiting from house to house; partly in reading, meditation, and prayer. Above all, if you
labour with us in our Lords vineyard, it is needful that you should do that part of the work
which the Conference shall advise, at those times and places which they shall judge most for
His glory.
Observe: It is not your business to preach so many times, and to take care merely of this or
that Society, but to save as many souls as you can; to bring as many sinners as you possibly
can to repentance; and, with all your power, to build them up in that holiness without which
they cannot see the Lord.
And remember, a Methodist Preacher is to mind every point, great and small, in the
Methodist Discipline. Therefore you will need all the grace and all the sense you have, and to
have all your wits about you.
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APPENDIX D
When Heaven Touches Earth: A Dialogue Between Benedict and Wesley
by Jarel Robinson-Brown
St Benedict and the Venerable John Wesley meet, on the grounds of Buckfast Abbey, Devon.
It is 1882 following the surrendering of the Abbey Community by Thomas Cromwell to the
King in 1539 the current Superior is Dom Thomas Duperou at whose invocation the two
Christian men meet. A year previous saw the opening of a Methodist Chapel on the site and
Dom Duperou is seeking the spiritual guidance of St Benedict in the formation of a new
Benedictine community, and Wesley accompanies Benedict as his heavenly guest of honour
a monk never travelling alone. After the community have finished singing Vespers, Benedict
and Wesley arrive they are greeted by Dom Duperou, and then left in the Chapter House
until Dom Duperous return from contemplative prayer in his cell, at which point Wesley will
depart and leave for Bristol to ride past the New Room one last time.
The Brethren leave the Abbey Church, and the sound of the organs improvised voluntary
fades. The ancient abbey door creaks and, having just arrived, Benedict and Wesley enter,
gazing at the incensed sanctuary.
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Wesley: My dear fellow, its so good to be with you! (the two exchange the kiss of peace, as
if for the first time).
Benedict: And you dear John, you are often in my heart Im so glad we could be together,
and see each other in this way!
Benedict is bare foot, wearing a long black habit, and a beard which is suitably patristic.
Wesley on the other hand, is small of stature reaching towards Benedicts breast height,
dressed simply in cassock, and buckled shoes he looks like a circuit rider. Despite
differences in stature, there is an equality about them.
Wesley: May I ask then? How is it with your heart?
Benedict: Ive had a bit longer than most to cultivate my wilderness within. My heart is well
grounded in God my rock, and my refuge.though it is strange being here, I think I prefer
eternity. It just seems.well, lighter in every sense.
Wesley: A rock and refuge indeedHe has stood the test of time for both you and II think
this was evident for the souls attracted to God by our rather unusual lives! And I agree,
heaven is a place worth waiting for.
Benedict: Yes! However, you couldnt stay in one place very long could you? Unlike me, I
was stable like a lighthouse in the seaand the world, and the church was spinning out of
control back then. How wonderful that our Blessed Lord has used us so fully.
Wesley: Sows ears into silk purses?!
Benedict: Something like that, a long an arduous process mind. Often people mistake my
monks and nuns as those who are seeking a quiet, sheltered life, locked away in a grand place
like this yet we are actually plunged into the world in a deeper more profound way. Its all
paradox.
Wesley: I pray, do tell me more
Benedict: Well, to spend a lifetime in silent contemplation and prayer, is to have the eye of
the soul opened up so wide and clear that it perceives all things as they are, not as they appear
to be. So to be a nun or a monk, and particularly a hermit, is to see as God sees and in
seeing as God sees, we pray with Gods heart, and love with Gods love, and move as God
moves.it is a sort of mystic union with the almighty.
Wesley: I admit, this is something I have always found complex to fully get to grips with,
though I was both in the world, and out of it in my lifetime, if that makes sense.
Benedict: Complete sense, I tried that in Subiaco where Fr Romanus was my guide then I
tried living in community but my monks tried to poison me twice until I moved to Monte
Cassino and wrote my Rule. My sister came to all this much later than I, I left and became a
hermit at 19. Life is funny sometimes, but I sense you know what I mean. Simplicity was
what I wanted and longed for simplicity and order.
35
Wesley: Funnily enough, so did I and my family home gave the outward appearance of
simplicity, order and peacebut it was far from that in actual fact.
Benedict: If only youd seen the simplicity of the habits I had in mind for my little monastery
in Subiaco, and at Monte Cassino..all change over the years.
Wesley: Hmmm, I had simple lives in view for my own Bible-Moths.but they have grown
so large and affluent in far too many ways. I must confess, I rather like your advice for the
Abbot in your Rule for my own Presbyters.! What we both seem to want is simple
apostolic identity in our leaders, sound teaching and humility of characterand it all starts
somewhere.
Benedict: We seem to have found one immediate benefit of the Divine Office there.
Wesley: Distraction?
Benedict: Well, John, you joke.but in a way. You of all people know what it means to be
lost.lost in wonder, love and praise! We cannot be anything other than sound, humble and
simplistic if our prayer life is rightit is all about right orientation.
Wesley: My heart is warmed to hear you speak those immortal words!
Benedict: Every line the Wesleys sang is firmly fixed in my heart they are sound, and
solid. Both of us have been changed from glory, into glory now.
Wesley: You are kind, Benedict. Perhaps its telling that your communities continue to pray
the psalms you encouraged them to use, but the Methodists seem a little inoculated against
our hymns, and with that, some of our theology.
Benedict: The Methodists, Id wondered what they were called now! The Spirit moves where
it wills, both you and I know that well. We have to leave as good a blueprint as we can for the
future, and then step away from itand just so you dont feel alone in this slippage of the
Methodists, there are some in the Benedictine family who would label Buckfast as
Benedictine-light!!
The two pause in momentary ponder.then the topic changes.
Wesley: Brother, what do you feel about the Holy Ghost?
Benedict: Well, fundamentally, I trust her completely. She, and she alone is the true Abbot or
Abbess of every monastery. She inspires, she guides, she protects.funny though it seems, I
dont think we would ever have new oblates or novices without her giving them the nudge
they need.
(Wesley is intrigued by Benedicts referral to the second person of the Trinity in the feminine,
but it doesnt alarm him enough to query it.)
Wesley: A mini Aldersgate experience perhaps?
36
Benedict: Yes, Absolutely, John! Here, tell me something. What exactly was that for you?
People call it your conversion experience, but I suspect that have misinterpreted that
entirely.
Wesley: Certainly not simply conversion. I believed in God, had hope in Christ Jesus and
understood my vocation prior to the 24th May that year. It was as though someone had poured
the most abundant and pure fuel on the flame that flickered quietly but powerfully within me.
We can all gaze at those precious wounds of Our Lord upon the cross, but at first we observe
what we understand as a general, universal sacrificean outpouring of that precious blood
upon the whole of humanity, a giving of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost.to all. Its an entirely
different experience to gaze upon those glorious scars and wail in awe as you see your name
etched within them. That all that Christ had done on earth was for me, as I am with all my
frailty and sinmindblowing.
Benedict clears his throat, and takes Johns hand neither are awkward about this
momentary embrace.
Benedict: That is so moving, so raw. That feeling is precisely what made me give up riches to
seek God in silence and prayer and work. I do not believe there is anything quite like that
conviction.
Wesley: We are not worth near half of what God has wrought in us. It is a thing too
wonderful at times, and when I look back I cant quite believe just how much the Lord has
done.
Benedict: That is the beauty of a life offered up to God in the service of Jesus Christ through
the power of the Spirit.
Wesley: The grip of that present moment.that moment of true oblation, is really other-
worldly. It is felt as one kneels as a layman before the Bishops weighty hands fall upon your
trembling head as he calls the Holy ghost down upon you out of heaven!
Benedict: I was an emotional wreck when I was ordained, both as a deacon and as a priest
like you, I was very young and the enormity of the task dawned upon me in that moment.
Wesley: It was as though heaven was actually there, in Christchurch Cathedral that day and
it was, I suppose. I can still smell the oil from my hands, and head oil of gladness!
Benedict: Quite. Never have the words suscipe me Domine been more heart-felt.
Wesley: Suscipe Me Domine?
Benedict: Uphold Me Lord.
Wesley: Who else can enable us to stand?
Benedict: Precisely. I think that suscipe me is the truth at the heart of all Christian
discipleship that total vulnerable security and dependence on Christ.
37
Wesley: The kind of upholding power that compelled me to commit to be more vile.to
preach outdoors, and even (if I might say this in your presence) led me to ordain presbyters
for America!
(The Methodist Chapel Bell Rings for Evening Prayer)
Benedict: Well, the first degree of humility is the fear of God, and obedience to his
command. If in the depths of your being, you felt your actions to be commanded by Our Lord
and the Holy Ghost, well, I have nothing to add nor to take away. But in my ancient wisdom,
(and I am an old old man!) I wouldnt want us to end our conversation on this point of
difference.
Wesley: Deep calls to deep, my friend. I can see in your eyes that our hearts and souls are in
some sweet communion. Of course, the whole purpose of our movements the monastic and
the Methodist is to root people into community that through life together they might have a
glimpse of glory and in some way, to bring renewal to the Church both liturgical and
spiritual.
Benedict: Like your class meetings, Ive always thought a monastery a good place to prepare
for heaven you cant choose your monastic brethren, in the same way that you cant select
who dwells in eternity, thus in the same way that both you and I would never have been in
the same place on earth we are united in one Church, one fellowship, one joy in glory.
This is why I advise all to keep death constantly before their eyes, that they might live as
people focussed on the life of the world to come
Wesley: I sometimes wish my chapels had Heavens Gate written above the entrance.
Sadly, so many followers of Our Lord do not truly accept the supremacy of Christ.
Benedict: (Benedict grins beknowingly with the wisdom of the ages, and gazes at the floor in
deep thought) The same is said for the supremacy of Rome.! But to pick up on your point
that is a shame, because as we know so well, only accepting the supremacy of Our Lord into
their lives will save them.
Wesley: Exactly, Christ is not one option among many he is, as we know, the very essence
of God made flesh.
Benedict: The world seems so much more in need of that transforming Gospel. For only the
name, blood and cross of Christ can save.
Wesley: Too often it all seems to be falling apart. The world, and even the Church its as
though it has lost its way.
Benedict: Well, it has been through much worse, and its biggest mistake would be to believe
and behave as though God had abandoned it, then the Church is no longer the Church. Alas,
nearly time for Compline, John. We shall sing and pray together, that would be good. What
shall we sing? Maybe something of your dear brothers? I have always been enriched by his
sacred verse!
Wesley: Let me think Captain of Israels Host and Guide? I shall intone, if you lead with
the psalms and then we can continue antiphonally.
38
Benedict: Perfect, John, very perfect!
The abbey bell tolls. The two sit as to face eachother and take a moment in silent prayer,
before making the sign of the cross.
Wesley: + O God Come to our assistance.
Benedict: .O Lord make haste to help us.
W&B: (bowing) Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning is now and shall be forever.
World without end.
Amen.
1. Captain of Israel's host and guide
of all who seek the land above,
beneath thy shadow we abide,
the cloud of thy protecting love;
our strength, thy grace; our rule, thy word;
our end, the glory of the Lord.
2. By thine unerring Spirit led,

we shall not in the desert stray;
we shall not full direction need,
nor miss our providential way;
as far from danger as from fear
while love, almighty love, is near.
3. We've no abiding city here,

but seek a city out of sight;
thither our steady course we steer,
aspiring to the plains of light:
Jerusalem the saints' abode,
whose founder is the living God. C.W.
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Lights in a Benighted Land:

A Critical Examination of the Christian Rules

Jarel Adrian Robinson-Brown

A Dissertation presented to the School of

Margaret Denning Hobbs (1925 - 2014)

With special thanks to:

II. Benedict and Wesley in Context

III. Benedict and Wesley in Historiography

IV. Community and Rule in the History of Christianity

V. The Rule of Benedict and Rules of Wesley in Critical Dialogue

A. The Rule of Saint Benedict: Selected Chapters

B. The Rules of the Societies

C. The Twelve Rules of a Helper

D. When Heaven Touches Earth: A Dialogue Between Benedict and Wesley

The Reverend Jarel Robinson-Brown Obl.OSB,

Feast of the Passing of St Benedict,

21st March 2017

II. Benedict and Wesley in Context

Strangers and pilgrims here below,

IV Community and Rule in the History of Christianity

V The Rule of Benedict and Rules of Wesley in Critical Dialogue

Not in the tombs we pine to dwell,

However, Wainwright continues to say that Benedictinism may therefore be considered,

At times, Wesley seems reluctant to acknowledge the inheritance brought to him as an

Sections of Saint Benedicts Rule by Dom Patrick Barry OSB

PROLOGUE: Prologue to the Rule

CHAPTER FOUR: Guidelines for Christian and Monastic Good Practice

CHAPTER SEVEN: The Value of Humility

CHAPTER SEVENTY-THREE: The Rule is Only a Beginning

Part 1 The Wesleys Rules of the Society, 1743

May 1, 1743 JOHN WESLEY.

Part 2 The Twelve Rules of a Helper, 1753

1. Be diligent. Never be unemployed. Never be triflingly employed. Never while away

When Heaven Touches Earth: A Dialogue Between Benedict and Wesley

Wesley: May I ask then? How is it with your heart?

Wesley: Sows ears into silk purses?!

Wesley: I pray, do tell me more

Wesley: My heart is warmed to hear you speak those immortal words!

The two pause in momentary ponder.then the topic changes.

Wesley: Brother, what do you feel about the Holy Ghost?

Wesley: A mini Aldersgate experience perhaps?

Wesley: Suscipe Me Domine?

Benedict: Uphold Me Lord.

Wesley: Who else can enable us to stand?

(The Methodist Chapel Bell Rings for Evening Prayer)

Wesley: + O God Come to our assistance.

Benedict: .O Lord make haste to help us.

2. By thine unerring Spirit led,

3. We've no abiding city here,

Bonhoeffer, Dietrich (1998), Sanctorum Communio,. Fortress Press.

Campbell, Ted A. (2011). Methodist Doctrine: The Essentials, Abingdon Press.

Greet, Kenneth (1975), When the Spirit Moves, Epworth Press.

Idle, Christopher (2003). The Journal of John Wesley, Lion Publishing.

MacCulloch, Diarmaid (2009). A History of Christianity. Allen Lane.

Milburn, Geoffrey. (2002). Primitive Methodism, Epworth Press.

Pratt, Andrew (2007). Inextinguishable Blaze: Meditations on Charles Wesleys Hymns,

Roberts, Andrew (2016). Holy Habits. Malcolm Down Publishing.

Rupp, Gordon (1960). Protestant Catholicity, The Epworth Press.

Rupp, Gordon (1977). Just Men. Epworth Press.

Rack, Henry D. (2002) Reasonable Enthusiast, Epworth Press.

Smith, Karen E. Christian Spirituality., SCM Press.

Staniforth, Maxwell (1968), Early Christian Writings. Penguin Books.